David wrote:
> A good idea. Even better would be to have your groceries home
> delivered, or at least use the pickup facility where they will load your
> stuff into your car for you. No sweat.

I love the drive and load service one grocery chain in my area offers.
The only disadvantage to it is that often the driver has to get back out
of the car to instruct the kids doing the loading not to put milk on top
of grapes and canned goods on top of bread, and not to THROW!

The same chain has employees who patrol the parking lot to gather up and
bring in shopping carts. They can be the most irritating people on the
planet. When I'm feeling pretty good and don't use drive and load, it
can still take me a while to get every bag from the cart and into the
car. I have to stop frequently. And it never fails that, as I move bags
from one spot to another, one of the cart-tenders approaches. Not once
has one of them offered to help. Usually they say nothing. One asked me
once, "You almost done?" But each and every one of them has never failed
to put their hands on my cart and watch me steadily, ready to make off
with it at the first opportunity. I've crabbed more than one of them out
for it and felt bad about it afterward, but damn it! I know that they
are in a hurry, but I can't go fast for them and shouldn't be made to
feel that I have to.